Whenever I see a recipe I'd like to try...more time than not it mentions sauteeing / browning / softening onions, carrots, celery or whatever...for 4-7 minutes.

Over what? A blowtorch? It takes me a lot longer than that to brown onions...for instance, not to metion softening chopped carrots. Or am I just not using enough fire? We've got a large burner on the new stove. And pretty much use it exclusively...but still? 2 cups of onions in 5 minutes??

One of the finest chefs I've ever known told me that the three most common faults with home cooking are not enough fat, not enough salt, and not enough heat. Don't be afraid to use your stove routinely at the max.

Stuart Yaniger wrote:One of the finest chefs I've ever known told me that the three most common faults with home cooking are not enough fat, not enough salt, and not enough heat. Don't be afraid to use your stove routinely at the max.

I'm with you on two out of three. My beginning line cooks/students always used too much fat (afraid of burning a saute.) Of course that screws up the ratio on a la minute sauces. Heat is the biggest fear among novice cooks.

Stuart Yaniger wrote:One of the finest chefs I've ever known told me that the three most common faults with home cooking are not enough fat, not enough salt, and not enough heat. Don't be afraid to use your stove routinely at the max.

+1 I also think that many home cooks fall into the pit of not preheating the fat. If you want to get a good sautee you have to get the oil nice and hot.

Stuart Yaniger wrote:One of the finest chefs I've ever known told me that the three most common faults with home cooking are not enough fat, not enough salt, and not enough heat. Don't be afraid to use your stove routinely at the max.

+1 I also think that many home cooks fall into the pit of not preheating the fat. If you want to get a good sautee you have to get the oil nice and hot.

rwj

And perhaps, not preheating the pan enough. The cast iron and heavy bottomed copper or aluminum core pans take quite some time to heat completely through. Over-crowding and/or adding a lot of cool items to a lighter weight pan will cause it cool off very quickly, also.

Stuart Yaniger wrote:Generally, I add the fat immediately before the stuff I'm sauteeing, and by and large I don't have sticking problems.

Words from Jeff Smith, that I've never forgotten:Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick.For some reason, that aways stayed with me, even after I found out he enjoyed an "alternative lifestyle."

Well, I think Smith was a better chaplain than he was a cook.

And this happens to be one that sticks in my craw. And I have seen chefs countless times on television over the years heat their pan before adding any fat. I think it is a formula for ruining a pan. Over time the pan, even a thick one, will develop "hot spots" and will not cook evenly. I never heat a pan before I add oil. I've *never* had food "stick." It is simply unacceptable.

Last edited by ChefCarey on Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ChefCarey wrote:Well, I think Smith was a better chaplain than he was a cook.

And this happenes to be one that sticks in my craw. And I have seen chefs countless times on television over the years heat their pan before adding any fat. I think it is a formula for ruining a pan. Over time the pan, even a thick one, will develop "hot spots" and will not cook evenly. I never heat a pan before I add oil. I've *never* had food "stick." It is simply unacceptable.

Really? I've never noticed that, but I've not done any scientific experiments, either.
I don't mind it when chefs ruin pans, because then they buy new ones - sometimes, from me!